Het tegengaan van complotten is noodzakelijk om de negatieve gevolgen van deze te beperken. Dit onderzoek kijkt naar de invloed van expertise en empathisch taalgebruik bij het ontkrachten van...Show moreHet tegengaan van complotten is noodzakelijk om de negatieve gevolgen van deze te beperken. Dit onderzoek kijkt naar de invloed van expertise en empathisch taalgebruik bij het ontkrachten van complotten, evenals naar een onderliggend mechanisme voor complotdenken, cognitieve reflectie. Verwachtingen waren dat mensen minder in een complot geloven wanneer deze ontkracht wordt door een expert ten opzichte van een leek. Bij mensen met hoge scores op complotgeloof, zou dit effect omgedraaid werken. Verder werd verwacht dat een combinatie van expertise en empathisch taalgebruik het meest efficiënt zou zijn, en dat mensen met hoog complotgeloof minder in een complot gaan geloven na een empathische ontkrachting. Daarnaast was de verwachting dat cognitieve reflectie negatief gerelateerd is aan complotdenken. In een quasi-experimentele setting is de invloed van expertise en empathisch taalgebruik op geloof in een complot onderzocht. De data (N = 179) bevestigt dat mensen minder in een complot geloven na ontkrachting door een expert vergeleken met door een leek. Daarnaast werd bevestigt dat de combinatie van expertise en empathisch taalgebruik de grootste mindering in complotgeloof oplevert. Onverwachts is er geen effect gevonden voor hoog complotgeloof en een omgedraaid effect van expertise. Wel is gevonden dat mensen met laag complotgeloof minder in een complot geloven na ontkrachting van een expert. Er is geen significant effect gevonden voor empathisch taalgebruik bij hoog complotgeloof en voor het onderliggende mechanisme cognitieve reflectie. Deze resultaten vormen de basis voor drie belangrijke richtlijnen voor efficiënte communicatie, die zullen helpen complotten en hun negatieve gevolgen te beperken.Show less
The current study focuses on the relationship between agreeableness and conflict tactics in intergroup conflict. Intergroup conflict arises when multiple groups have incompatible needs. Individuals...Show moreThe current study focuses on the relationship between agreeableness and conflict tactics in intergroup conflict. Intergroup conflict arises when multiple groups have incompatible needs. Individuals can invest in intergroup conflict at their own cost through conflict tactics such as ingroup bias or outgroup harm. The trait agreeableness may be an important predictor in the choice for conflict tactics. I hypothesized that agreeableness was positively associated with ingroup bias and negatively associated with outgroup harm. This study operationalized intergroup conflict with the Intergroup Prisoner’s Dilemma Maximizing-Differences (IPD-MD) (N = 126). The results supported the first hypothesis that indeed, highly agreeable people show more ingroup bias in intergroup conflict than their less agreeable counterparts. However, the second hypothesis was not supported by our results, as no relationship was found between agreeableness and outgroup harm. Finally, this study includes several theories to explain these results, as well as directions for future research.Show less
Men and women may cognitively construe power differently, i.e., either as an opportunity or a responsibility. In the current research, we explore the influence of gender identity and conformity on...Show moreMen and women may cognitively construe power differently, i.e., either as an opportunity or a responsibility. In the current research, we explore the influence of gender identity and conformity on power construal. To study these hypotheses, 402 participants were primed with having low power or high power using a recall task; subsequently the different meanings of power (responsibility and opportunity) were measured. Results indicate that the high power condition significantly increased the perception of both opportunities and responsibilities. Sex and conformity did not influence power construal while a more feminine gender identity was significantly related to the perception of responsibilities. Future studies could possibly look into how the findings of the current study fit in with the previously recorded findings, since there seems to be some discrepancy between the findings.Show less
This study investigated the concept ‘expanding the pie’ in unequal power dyads by the option to involve optional topics to the negotiation in order to reach an integrative and optimal agreement....Show moreThis study investigated the concept ‘expanding the pie’ in unequal power dyads by the option to involve optional topics to the negotiation in order to reach an integrative and optimal agreement. Predicted was that low-power negotiators initiated more optional topics compared to high-power negotiators and that this would lead to a higher negotiation quality and a higher joint outcome. Furthermore, predicted was that high-power negotiators would only initiate the optional topics that were beneficial for them, and that low-power negotiators would initiate all the optional topics. The participants (N=88 dyads) were introduced to a newly developed dyad face-to-face negotiation task, where participants had the option to initiate optional topics beside the mandatory topics, with the goal to expand the pie and reach an optimal outcome. Results show that, against expectations, high-power and low-power negotiators do not differ in the frequency they initiate the optional topics, and power does not have an effect on negotiation quality and joint outcome. Furthermore, not only high-power negotiators initiate optional topics that are beneficial for them, but low-power negotiators do this as well. Suggested is that negotiators are influenced by the way the task is framed and develop an individualistic motivation which stands in the way of creating an integrative and optimal agreement. The effects of unequal power, implications and limitations of the study and future research are further discussed.Show less
Sexual harassment is a major problem in today’s society. It can cause psychological problems to victims. One of those problems is that victims may blame themselves for being harassed. This can...Show moreSexual harassment is a major problem in today’s society. It can cause psychological problems to victims. One of those problems is that victims may blame themselves for being harassed. This can eventually cause PTSD. Factors that might affect self-blame are social information and a perception of control. This study aims to determine if the perception of control can backfire if the victim is unable to stand up to the harassment. Furthermore, we try to find out if social information, conveyed by the behaviour of bystanders, can influence self-blame as well. The study sample comprised 240 women, aged 18-29. The women were divided between two self-efficacy (perceived control) conditions and four different bystander behaviour conditions. Eventually we had eight different groups. The results didn’t show that self-efficacy or bystander behaviour had any significant effect on self-blame. In our exploratory analysis we did find significant effects on sexual harassment myth acceptation. Those who were less likely to believe myths regarding harassment also scored lower on self-blame. This study was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, research methods were limited. After the pandemic, new methods can be used to study the effect of self-efficacy and bystander behaviour on self-blame. Regarding myth acceptation, giving a potential victim insight in the suffering of those being harassed, may reduce self-blame during future events of harassment.Show less
This study focuses on the role that psychological ownership of the organization, organizational identification, and their predictors, play in the willingness of volunteers (i.e., unpaid workers) to...Show moreThis study focuses on the role that psychological ownership of the organization, organizational identification, and their predictors, play in the willingness of volunteers (i.e., unpaid workers) to promote the membership of the non-profit organization and stay a volunteer with the non-profit organization. Also, it is examined whether openness to diversity helps in increasing the willingness of volunteers to promote the membership of the non-profit organization to persons who belong to groups that are currently underrepresented within the organization. We conducted a survey study and the sample of the research included volunteers with different types of volunteer jobs and organizations (n = 84). The data were analyzed with multiple regression analyses, mediation regression analyses, and moderation regression analyses. The main results showed that among volunteers the identification with the organization, but not the psychological ownership of the organization, had a direct and positive relation with respectively willingness to promote and intent to remain. Furthermore, it was found that among volunteers having control within the organization relates directly and positively to psychological ownership of the organization, while self-investment relates directly and positively to identication with the organization and to the intent to remain a volunteer via organizational identification. Finally, it was found that among volunteers openness to diversity as a moderator strengthens the effect of organizational identification on the willingness to promote the membership of the organization to persons who belong to groups that are currently underrepresented within the organization. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings, and limitations of the current study and suggestions for further research, are discussed.Show less
